Houghton Hall Park - Houghton Regis

Houghton Hall Park - Houghton Regis

The council own the site and manage the day to day maintenance and future development of the site through an arrangement with the Greensand Trust, an Environmental Charitable Trust.  A park ranger is developing links with the local community towards developing a 'Friends of Group' to help promote the park and getting people involved in the future development and management of the park.

Click here for link to Greensand Trust Website

Houghton Hall Park has a Management Plan 2004-2009, the plans aim to set out Aims and Proposals over a five year period through proactive management of the park, helping to ensure its special qualities are maximised for the benefit of the local area. identify opportunities with other interested parties. Conserve and improve the sites amenity value. Gather support towards the safekeeping of the park. 

Click here for link to Management Plan (PDF)      

Click here for link to Volunteer Action Days/Dates (PDF)

The park is approximately 17.5 ha and consists mainly of open grassland with widely spaced mature trees and woodlands.

The park was once a private estate to Houghton Hall, a Grade II listed building that adjoins it, and still retains many features associated with the former parkland. Houghton Hall was built in 1700 and was home to the Brandreth family until 1908, when the house was sold to Lt. Col. Sir Dealtry Part. In the 1960s the property was sold off and much of the surrounding land became fragmented. The habitat is believed to have been widespread in lowland landscapes through the medieval period and up to the early nineteenth century. There are at least 95 parkland sites in Bedfordshire but unfortunately only remnants of most of them remain. Habitats falling under the parkland category are recognised as a national priority habitat, and have links to national, regional and local Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP). They are often of national historic, cultural and landscape importance and are commonly managed for the benefit of landscape and the visiting public.

The councils Sustainable Development continually look at how they can improve the site for the benefit of the local community while retaining the qualities associated with a parkland landscape. Hay meadows and flower-rich pastures provide a breeding and feeding habitat for many species of bird, including finches, buntings and birds of prey, small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews and beetles, spiders and butterflies amongst other invertebrates. They are also a beloved aspect of the traditional English landscape and are highly valued for their aesthetic appeal.

During 2004 the District Council carried out habitat improvements at the site when they created five acres of wild flower meadow. By using a long-season flower mix, which flowers between March and September, the intention is to provide an attractive and interesting contrast to the amenity grassland found across the rest of the site.

Over 95 per cent of our native flowering meadows have disappeared since the war due to intensification in agricultural practice and changes to the way that grassland areas are managed and maintained. The flower meadow we have created at Houghton Hall means visitors can see species of wild flowers that they might not come across very often. Flowers like Ladys Bedstraw, Field Scabious, and White Campion are now common species at the park, so those with an interest in wild flowers will be able to sharpen up their identification skills identifying over 15 different flower species occurring across the meadow.

A further five ha of flower meadow have been developed at the park, which includes two and a half acres of butterfly meadow.

Keep a look out for a blaze of colour over the next few years.

As part of the continual development of the park the council has been able to secure Chalk Arc Initiative funding for the development of a permanent piece of art work in the Eastern woodland. Happen, Chalk Arc Initiative and South Bedfordshire District Council commissioned an artist called David Appleyard to undertake consultation, design, construction and installation of a permanent piece of robust artwork.
The works and design have been developed through community consultation and outreach activities with local park users and the local schools, Houghton Regis Lower School and Thomas Whithead Lower School and Friends of Houghton Hall Park. 

The park is also used for Health Walks as part of the Walk4health, gentle walks around the park in groups with a walk leader, please see notice board in the park for future dates.